Old-Salt

It's only on the one sleeve, so that the stars are always going forwards. It's something they get very patriotic about and get in a bit of a flap when it's not facing the right way.

"Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose."

LE

I was told to imagine the flag as being actual cloth rather than a badge. So, as a solider will always be going forwards the stars on both sides will be to the front. After all, the Americans never retreat...

LE

I was told to imagine the flag as being actual cloth rather than a badge. So, as a solider will always be going forwards the stars on both sides will be to the front. After all, the Americans never retreat...

Old-Salt

The serious, boring answer is that if the bloke was walking around holding an Old-Glory flag on a pole, the bit with the stars would be closest to the front, with the stripes-only part behind. The merkins are pedantic to ensure that this is represented on the uniform patches.
They have a whole bunch of other rules about their flag, and these are enshrined in law at a federal level. Can't fly it at night, in the rain, to the west or south of a foreign flag etc etc.
It probably comes from the US being a republic and having to make up the symbols and traditions of a nation overnight in 1775.

Old-Salt

The serious, boring answer is that if the bloke was walking around holding an Old-Glory flag on a pole, the bit with the stars would be closest to the front, with the stripes-only part behind. The merkins are pedantic to ensure that this is represented on the uniform patches.
They have a whole bunch of other rules about their flag, and these are enshrined in law at a federal level. Can't fly it at night, in the rain, to the west or south of a foreign flag etc etc.
It probably comes from the US being a republic and having to make up the symbols and traditions of a nation overnight in 1775.

LE

The serious, boring answer is that if the bloke was walking around holding an Old-Glory flag on a pole, the bit with the stars would be closest to the front, with the stripes-only part behind. The merkins are pedantic to ensure that this is represented on the uniform patches.
They have a whole bunch of other rules about their flag, and these are enshrined in law at a federal level. Can't fly it at night, in the rain, to the west or south of a foreign flag etc etc.
It probably comes from the US being a republic and having to make up the symbols and traditions of a nation overnight in 1775.

Actually most of our "traditions and symbols" came from you seeing that in 1775 we were still part of the British Empire.
By the way, here is an American Army Drill Sergeant trying to teach some British recruits an American tradition:

LE

My guess? Someone in supply ordered a half million flags to go on the left shoulder with the unit insignia. Unfortunately, he ballsed up and accidently ordered a reversed flag.

They then decided that instead of ordering another half-million flags, they'll just wear it on the right side and go with the 'flying in the breeze' description. I note that in WWII, the US Army seemed to have no particular problem in displaying the flag the 'normal' way around on the right shoulder.

However, there probably is something to it. If you look at US airliners, the starboard side flag is usually reversed. (Base of tail, in this case)

The difference between Infantrymen and Cavalrymen is the Cavalrymen get to die faster, for we ride into battle!